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“The story of Insignia is a reflection of my grandfather’s character. He was a pioneer and an original who didn’t want to do what had already been done. He saw an opportunity to create something very special. With Insignia, he created California’s first proprietary red Bordeaux-style blend.”

– Elizabeth Neuman, Joe’s Granddaughter

In 1974 Joe Phelps had the idea to make a separate cuvee each year, one that would represent the finest wine he could make from each vintage. He didn’t necessarily think it would always be a Cabernet Sauvignon. It might be a white wine in some years, a Chardonnay or a Riesling, or it might be a Syrah or Merlot. His only thought was to make one wine that represented the best of what Joseph Phelps Vineyards could produce each year. He decided to name the wine Insignia, a proprietary name that would give him the flexibility to make the wine out of any varietal he chose.

As it happened, 1974 was a great year for Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley and the 1974 Insignia was 94% Cabernet from the Stags Leap District. The following year Merlot dominated the blend, and in 1976, it returned to Cabernet, this time from the Eisele Vineyard. It was becoming increasingly clear that red Bordeaux varieties – particularly Cabernet Sauvignon - were ideally suited to Napa Valley and would consistently yield the best wines of the vintage. From 1977 on, Cabernet Sauvignon was never less than 50% of the Insignia blend and gradually became the dominant varietal. Joe’s vision evolved: Insignia would always be a proprietary red Bordeaux-style blend.

“Joseph Phelps was one of the great visionaries of Napa Valley. His legacy is one of extraordinary quality. He was one of the first to see the merit in blending, which his legendary Insignia, which first debuted in 1974, has proven year after year. It remains one of the world’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blends.”

- Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Joe Phelps left our family an incredible gift: estate vineyards in some of Napa Valley’s finest appellations and growing regions. Because of this, since 2004, Insignia has been 100% estate grown, a blend of the best wine lots from our vineyards in St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, the Stags Leap District, the Oak Knoll District and South Napa Valley. Estate vineyards give us complete control over the quality of our grapes, and provide our winemaker with profound resources when it comes to creating Insignia each year. Produced without regard to quantity and with only one goal in mind – to make the best wine possible each vintage – Insignia continues the pioneering legacy founded by our father and grandfather over forty years ago.

“The winemaker’s role is to ensure that the terroir and beauty of the vineyard in which the grapes are grown are expressed in the finished wine. At Joseph Phelps our winemaking philosophy is to create the very best wine from the vintage we’ve been given, making sure that the wine is complex, balanced, and that it expresses the soul of the vineyard.”

-Ashley Hepworth, Winemaker, Joseph Phelps Napa Valley

Over forty years later, Insignia is recognized as one of the world’s most iconic wines. The 2002 vintage was awarded “Wine of the Year” by Wine Spectator magazine in 2005 and Robert Parker Wine Advocate has awarded four perfect 100-point scores to the 1991, 1997, 2002 and 2007 vintages of Insignia.

"The proprietary name Insignia was selected to represent the finest lots available from each vintage, and to emphasize the importance of blending over varietal designation as a determinant of quality."-Joe Phelps

The 10th vintage of Insignia.

100 Points "Magnificent in the mouth with an opulent and voluptuous texture… it reveals mindboggling purity and vigor.”-Robert Parker

The 20th vintage of Insignia.

#3 Top 100 Wines of 1997 - Wine Spectator

100 points " It is a perfect expression of Napa viticulture and wine that should continue to age effortlessly for two decades or more." -Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

"I will admit that I rank Phelps Insignia among the top Cabernet bottlings being made in California and have for some time now. In the forty years of its existence... it is among the handful of wines I would nominate as the most decorated during that stretch.”-Charles Olkin